


Word Problems

by kyouyaed



Category: Bully (Video Games)
Genre: Awkward first dates, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-09
Updated: 2015-05-09
Packaged: 2018-03-29 17:31:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,201
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3904834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyouyaed/pseuds/kyouyaed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“The view isn't awful,” Cornelius mused aloud, although it really was.</p><p>“The view <i>is</i> awful,” Constantinos groused. Cornelius frowned and glanced over at him, blinking when the other boy met his gaze. “You're not, though... Awful, I mean.”</p><p><b>//</b>Constantinos and Cornelius have their first date at the carnival, but it definitely could be going better.<b>//</b></p>
            </blockquote>





	Word Problems

**Author's Note:**

> In my defense, [Teegan](http://unofficialtadspencer.tumblr.com/) encouraged me so she is like 25% to blame for this. This ship sails itself. I apologize for any OOC-ness that might happen (and considering it's Constantinos, that's probably very likely). This fic has not been proofread. That said, enough from me. Enjoy.

“This is stupid.”

He'd been saying that since they got there, but it didn't make Cornelius feel any better. The teen glanced down at their hands, loosely intertwined between them, and held back a sigh. Instead, he distracted himself from his date's words and glanced around the carnival. He thought this was fun. Well, it would have been fun if Constantinos could at least _pretend_ he didn't completely hate it. It was this, or the theater. (Constantinos had complained about the movie choices as well. Cornelius picked the lesser of two evils.) It could be fun. Cornelius could imagine that Constantinos was enjoying himself, enjoying being there with him. In theory, he could. The other boy's constant remarks every other minute made it hard, though.

“There's too many people here,” Constantinos complained and this time Cornelius did sigh.

“We can go back to the school, I guess,” the nerd mumbled, his free hand gripping the side of his slacks tightly. He peeked at Constantinos when he slowed them to a stop and looked away when Constantinos looked at him.

“Whatever,” Constantinos finally said after a few dragging moments of quiet. “I don't _care_.”

Cornelius chewed his bottom lip as his heart clenched; he had _really_ wanted to have a good time with Constantinos, but he was hellbent on making everything seem terrible. It was beyond Cornelius on how to make this a good date. He just didn't have the skill set. For a brief moment, he wondered what Jimmy would do and that caused him to stop biting his lip in order to smile; the brash boy would just walk out on this date. Cornelius didn't want it to come to that, especially because they would still have to take the bus back to school together.

“What do you want to do?” Cornelius asked desperately, looking at Constantinos for what felt like the first time that night. They met gazes and Constantinos sighed, jerking his head away to look at the ground. Cornelius's grip on his slacks tightened. His hand would probably leave an awkwardly shaped sweat mark there.

Constantinos didn't reply right away and Cornelius glanced around them. Most people seemed wrapped up in their own worlds, though Cornelius did notice a couple of Jocks eying them from their lurking spots near the strike out game. Constantinos's hand squeezing his brought Cornelius back and they met gazes once again.

“Pick... Something, I guess,” Constantinos grumbled out and Cornelius couldn't help but smile, even when a blush covered his date's cheeks. “Whatever,” he repeated, though it had less annoyance behind it than the first time he'd said it, and more of something Cornelius didn't recognize but sounded warmer.

“We can ride on the Ferris wheel!” Cornelius beamed and tugged Constantinos off, his free hand finally releasing his slacks now that they had direction and Cornelius wasn't nearly as worried.

The line to the Ferris wheel was short, and Cornelius chalked that up to the view of the carnival being ugly to look at. Cornelius himself didn't much care for the view either. Seeing the carnival from above was hardly something to look at. He mentally shook himself when an empty carriage slid to a stop in front of them. Cornelius stepped in first and Constantinos followed, pressing against him more than was strictly necessary. Cornelius grinned a little bit more and glanced at his date before looking away so he wouldn't be caught just simply looking.

It took a few moments for the ride to start up and then it took what felt like forever for it to inch along until their carriage wasn't at ground level and then continued at the slow, trudging pace up and up and up.

Cornelius glanced around, a content smile on his face. “The view isn't awful,” he mused aloud, although it really was. If he squinted, he was pretty sure that was Jimmy vomiting at the exit of the roller coaster. He wrinkled his nose and decided that he and Constantinos were _not_ riding the roller coaster. Cornelius's thoughts were interrupted by Constantinos's grumpy voice.

“The view _is_ awful,” Constantinos groused. Cornelius frowned and glanced over at him, blinking when the other boy met his gaze. “You're not, though... Awful, I mean.” They stared at each other for a few seconds and Cornelius's frown gave way to a bright grin and he scooted a bit closer to Constantinos to lay his head on the boy's shoulder. Cornelius peeked up at Constantinos and grinned a bit wider at the sight of the paler boy's bright red face and his pout.

“You're not awful either,” Cornelius stated quietly and quite suddenly. “I think you're wonderful.” Constantinos snorted and Cornelius peered up at him again. The pout was gone and, if Cornelius wasn't mistaken, the usually grouchy teen had the beginnings of a smile on his face. Cornelius could feel his own face heating at the sight of Constantinos's smile and he was glad that his skin would significantly hide that fact. Cornelius squeezed his date's hand and averted his gaze, looking back in front of them. They were almost at the top of the Ferris wheel. In a romance movie, this is where Constantinos, definitely Constantinos, would kiss him as they rode out the view of the carnival.

With that thought suddenly in his head, Cornelius sat up but kept the close proximity to Constantinos. He shyly glanced at his date before looking ahead of them. He didn't know how this would work. He'd never kissed anyone on a Ferris wheel. He'd never been on a date to the carnival. Most of his dates wanted to feel him up in the theater. _Focus, Cornelius_ , he told himself. Focused, at least somewhat, Cornelius twisted in his seat to face Constantinos.

“Are you okay?” Cornelius blurted out, completely forgetting that they were supposed to be getting ready for a romantic kiss. Constantinos was paler than usual and sweat was beading along his forehead and Cornelius was suddenly aware of the death grip Constantinos had on his hand. “Constantinos?” he asked, this time softer. The other teen looked at him then, his eyes wide and panicked. “What's wrong?” Cornelius brought up his free hand to Constantinos's shoulder, rubbing his thumb in circles in an attempt at being soothing.

Constantinos took a deep breath. “Nothing... Whatever... I'm fine,” he snapped and Cornelius could tell his teeth were gritted. Cornelius tipped his head to the side. Constantinos had been perfectly fine while they were -what? Bantering? Flirting? Probably flirting-, but now he was completely stressed. What had changed? Cornelius glanced around and it hit him as their carriage crested the Ferris wheel.

“You're afraid of heights, aren't you?” he wondered tactlessly.

“Shut up,” Constantinos ground out. Cornelius squeezed his hand.

“Why didn't you say something earlier then?” he asked, biting his lip when Constantinos hit him with a cutting glare.

“ _You_ wanted to ride the stupid Ferris wheel.”

Cornelius frowned. “We could have done something else,” he said softly. The emotions that flashed across Constantinos's face were too quick for Cornelius to really register, but he was glad to see his date relaxing at least slightly. Constantinos's death grip on Cornelius's hand eased up and the dark skinned boy let out a sigh at that and Cornelius pulled his other hand away from Constantinos's shoulder.

“Didn't matter,” Constantinos finally said. “I just wanted you to do whatever you wanted.”

“Well, that wasn't very smart,” Cornelius informed him almost bossily.

Constantinos opened his mouth to reply but only squeaked instead as the Ferris wheel jerked beneath them. The death grip on Cornelius's hand returned and Cornelius looked around. Their carriage was no longer at the top, but it was still pretty high up, and the wheel itself didn't seem to be moving.

“We've stopped,” Cornelius observed.

“Did we? Thanks, Captain Obvious,” Constantinos bit out. Cornelius glanced at him. Constantinos had his eyes squeezed shut and he was shaking slightly. Cornelius frowned and was overwhelmed with guilt. He just wanted to have a good time, and instead he got them stuck on the Ferris wheel and Constantinos was afraid of heights. He messed up big time. If Constantinos never wanted to go on a date with him again, he would completely understand.

“I'm sorry,” Cornelius apologized quietly.

Constantinos roughly shook his head. “Don't be stupid,” he snapped out and didn't elaborate. He only tightened his grip on Cornelius's hand and bowed his head, as if that would help him calm down. Maybe it would. What did he know, anyway? Constantinos took a deep breath and brought his head back up. “Distract me,” he said, although it sounded more like an order.

Distract him? A number of things popped into Cornelius's head then, mostly romance-movie inspired and centered. Constantinos probably wouldn't appreciate being kissed in a moment of panic.

“How?” Cornelius squeaked out, flinching when Constantinos sighed in irritation.

“Tell me what you're thinking about.”

“Romcoms,” Cornelius admitted before he could filter his thoughts into something more acceptable for the current situation. Constantinos barked out a tense half-laugh.

“Romcoms,” he repeated.

“That you... Wouldn't appreciate a romcom... Event happening now,” Cornelius stammered.

“No,” Constantinos agreed. “Because I think I'm going to vomit.”

The death grip on Cornelius's hand was released and Constantinos lurched forward, gripping the safety bar with both hands and hanging his head over the carriage side. Cornelius followed, hesitantly rubbing his date's back as he hung there.

Without warning, the Ferris wheel jerked into motion and Constantinos jerked back, smashing Cornelius's hand between his back and the carriage seat. Cornelius didn't complain, he only shifted so he was mostly hugging Constantinos. The paler boy let out a shaky sigh and moved so he could press his face into Cornelius's shoulder, freeing Cornelius's hand. He brought his newly freed hand up to rub Constantinos's back.

“I'm sorry,” he apologized again. His only reply was a muffled groan and he couldn't help but laugh.

It took the Ferris wheel another three minutes to cycle though, but when it finally hit the ground, Constantinos was up and out, nearly tripping over Cornelius in the process. Cornelius followed him but kept his distance just to make sure that Constantinos got his space in case he hated Cornelius now. (If he did, the black teen wouldn't blame him. That was a monumentally _stupid_ thing that just happened.) Cornelius followed Constantinos through the carnival, pushing passed people without a care in the world. More than a few adults swore at the pale teen, but he paid them no mind. Cornelius broke into a jog when Constantinos upped his pace until they both burst out of the carnival gates, Cornelius panting more than Constantinos was.

They stood there for a few silent minutes, their bodies facing each other but neither completely looking at each other. Cornelius fidgeted with his school slacks, picking at the waist band. Constantinos was clenching and unclenching his fists, staring just to the left of Cornelius's head.

“You're stupid,” Constantinos said, breaking the silence. At those words, Cornelius jerked his head around to look at his date (ex-date?). Tears pricked Cornelius's eyes, the inner corners of his glasses started to fog up, and, when he spoke, it took all his strength to keep his voice from trembling.

“Are you breaking up with me, then?” he asked. Constantinos snorted and closed the few steps between them in a matter of seconds.

“No,” Constantinos grumbled. “You're just stupid for apologizing all the time.”

“I'm sorry.” Cornelius averted his gaze at his own apology, embarrassment filling him.

“Stupid,” Constantinos muttered. Cornelius looked at him out of the corner of his eye and had to turn his head fully to be sure that Constantinos was actually trying to smile. “You're a complete idiot,” Constantinos informed him when their eyes met. “But I guess... You're not awful.” A blush colored Constantinos's cheeks and he slapped his hands a little more roughly than necessary onto Cornelius's shoulders. Using Cornelius as leverage, Constantinos pushed himself to the tips of his toes and pressed a kiss to Cornelius's cheek. When he dropped back down, the blush had crawled down his jaw and up to his ears as well.

Cornelius could feel his face heating up and he slapped his hands to his cheeks on instinct. The tears from his earlier distress slid down over his hands, unwelcome and unwanted, and he let out a slightly hysteric laugh.

“Do-does this mean you still like me?” Cornelius asked, unable to stop his voice from shaking that time.

“... Yeah,” Constantinos admitted, briefly meeting Cornelius's gaze before looking away. “Can we go? I don't like the stupid carnival anyway.”

Sniffling, Cornelius pushed his glasses up to wipe his eyes dry and he wiped his hands on his slacks before adjusting his glasses. Unsure, Cornelius glanced at Constantinos's hands.

“You can hold my hand,” Constantinos groused, reaching out to take Cornelius's hand.

“Okay!” Cornelius replied, a small smile taking over his face. “Um, Constantinos?” Constantinos looked up at him. “Um... I still think you're wonderful.” The blush came back full force on Constantinos's face and he looked away, pulling Cornelius off with more force than necessary.

“Whatever.”


End file.
